1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a child-safety electrical socket comprising a cover having at least two contact introduction apertures. The cover is disposed on a housing, and underneath the cover a slider is positioned, which stands under the influence of a spring, which supports itself on an intermediate bottom in the housing. The intermediate bottom has at least two apertures and the slider has at least two apertures, which are provided with inclined surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical outlets usually consist of an insulation material socket, which can be mounted in a box inserted into or onto a wall, a cable duct or a piece or furniture. The socket has electrical contact elements for connecting the supply wires as well as accommodation contacts for the contact pins of a plug. A cover is set in front of the insulation material socket.
Child-safety electrical outlets have the task of preventing a child who is attempting to place a pointed metal object into an electrical outlet from coming into contact with voltage-carrying contacts and being injured by an electrical shock. For this purpose, a safety device is provided, which closes off the contact introduction apertures of the cover in the unused state of the electrical outlet. This device is configured so that the contact introduction apertures are released only when at least two plug contact pins are inserted at the same time; in contrast, if only one pointed object or only one plug contact pin is inserted, release is prevented.
From U.S. Pat. No. 8,242,362 B2, a child-safety electrical outlet is known, in which a slider is disposed underneath a cover, which slider is spring-loaded and has an aperture. The slider is provided with a rib that has an inclined surface that interacts with a cutout in the housing of the electrical outlet, which cutout also has an inclined surface. If no plug is inserted into the electrical outlet, the slider lies against the cover. If a plug is inserted into the contact introduction apertures in the cover, with both of its plug contact pins at the same time, the plug contact pins enter into contact with the slider. When the plug pins are inserted further, the slider slides along the inclined surface with its rib, counter to the force of the spring, downward into the cutout, and, at the same time, radially into the interior of the electrical outlet, until a stop has been reached. In this position, the slider releases the insertion slots for the plug contact pins, so that the plug can assume its functional position. If, in contrast, only one plug contact pin or a pointed object is inserted into a contact introduction aperture, the slider tilts and is held captured, so that the insertion slots remain covered.
An alternative embodiment is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,372 A. It describes a child-safety electrical outlet, which has a housing having an upper part and a lower part, and comprises contact introduction apertures for plug pins. A protective crosspiece composed of two wings is rotatably mounted underneath the contact introduction apertures. The protective crosspiece stands under the influence of a spring, which turns the wings of the protective crosspiece under the contact introduction apertures. A centered axle journal is provided at the surfaces of the upper housing part and the lower housing part that face toward one another, about which journal the protective crosspiece can be rotated. For this purpose, the protective crosspiece has a central bearing bore. Furthermore, the protective crosspiece has a contour that comes to a point in the center, on its side facing the lower housing part. If a plug is inserted into the contact introduction apertures in the upper housing part with both of its plug contact pins at the same time, the plug contact pins enter into contact with the wings of the protective crosspiece. When the plug contact pins are inserted further, the pins slide along the inclined surfaces of the wings, thereby causing the protective crosspiece to perform a rotational movement counter to the force of the spring, until the wings make contact with the housing. In this position, the protective crosspiece releases the insertion slots for the plug contact pins, so that the plug can assume its functional position. If, in contrast, only one plug contact pin or a pointed object is inserted into a contact introduction aperture, the protective crosspiece tilts about the tip and is held captured. Rotation is thereby prevented, so that the insertion slots remain covered.
The known child-safety electrical outlets fundamentally meet the demands made on them. Nevertheless, because of the very slight construction size of the slider or of the protective crosspiece, which is brought about by the limited construction space present in the electrical outlet, functional problems can occur, particularly during proper use by means of insertion of a plug. As a result, the known child-safety electrical outlets are inconvenient to use. In addition, the embodiments having a rotating protective crosspiece are capable of functioning only when the mounting of the rotating crosspiece is mounted centered relative to the apertures of the voltage-conducting contacts.